Zoom: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/88522022176?pwd=e7EJslag7oYUrNdssOjzaf0qbxqKef.1
Abstract:
Predicting high-impact weather and its statistics is a grand challenge for science and society. This talk will first explore what we can learn from large-ensemble physical simulations. I will present work identifying a significant compound energy risk: amplified summer land warming and wind stilling that dampens wind energy output. This threatens regional energy grid security, with implications for public health and data center cooling.
While powerful, physical simulations are computationally intensive, motivating the new frontier of hybrid AI-physics modeling. I will then present recent work using Google’s Neural General Circulation Model (NeuralGCM), a hybrid that weds a traditional dynamical core with a machine-learned parameterization. This efficient approach achieves skillful seasonal hurricane predictions on a single GPU—a task requiring hundreds of CPUs and days of computing with traditional physical models.
This work serves as a foundation for upcoming collaborations. The discussion will focus on the opportunities at the intersection of atmospheric and computer science, merging domain-specific physical knowledge with data-driven methods to tackle critical societal challenges.
Bio:
Dr. Gan Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences (CliMAS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the intersection of climate dynamics and data science, particularly in understanding tropical and extratropical cyclones, developing hybrid AI-physics models for weather-to-climate prediction, and assessing climate change impacts on renewable energy and financial risk. Prior to rejoining UIUC, Dr. Zhang was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University and NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). He also worked as a Weather Analyst and Quantitative Researcher at Citadel hedge fund. He is an alumnus of CliMAS, having earned both his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Atmospheric Sciences from Illinois.
Faculty Host: Arindam Banerjee
Meeting ID: 885 2202 2176
Password: csillinois